Getting rid of the Christmas excess

Chances are you are now looking at, or dreading, the results of the Christmas excess. Despite your best intentions, you did splurge a bit and the time of reckoning is coming fast.

After the Christmas excess, we usually have the New Year’s excess, a little extension of the fun before we survey the aftermath. Even if you try to be as good as you can, there is probably some work to do on that waistline as soon as you hit 2016. The good news is that you are not alone and that there are a few tricks you can use to make the work a little easier.

One of your best friends at this time of the year is water. Drink plenty of it, not only to de-tox but to help yourself to feel fuller. As part of the Christmas excess, you may have gotten used to eating a little more, so hunger pangs may strike more quickly than before. Sipping water will help you to hold off until the next mealtime.

Don’t panic. The Christmas excess will not go away immediately, so the first step is to accept that. Aim for a realistic amount of weight loss per week and build things up slowly.

Make meals a bit smaller and eat a few times a day. Keep things level by eating small amounts a few times a day if this helps to prevent snacking. Make helping sizes smaller too, to cut down on the amount of calories each meal has. If you can, cut out alcohol altogether, as this will reduce your daily calorie count significantly.

So rather than beat yourself up about the Christmas excess, accept it, face it and make a plan for how to tackle it. With this new mindset you can quickly make it a thing of the past.